


Even The Bartender Knows

by EdithBlake



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Bartender - Freeform, Best Friends, Dorks in Love, Even the bartender knows, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gay Bar, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Out, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-13 17:33:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21497890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdithBlake/pseuds/EdithBlake
Summary: The Bartender at The Manhole gets a lot of guys coming into his bar who are questioning their sexuality. Helping them through it is kinda part of his job. But when a pretty Blond comes in and starts going on and on about how in love he is with his best friend, only for a man fitting said description of that best friend, walks in a few nights later going on and on about how in love he is with his best friend, well he's never seen that before.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 51
Kudos: 1189





	Even The Bartender Knows

Buck sat at the bar. He took a long swig of his beer. He’s always been comfortable in bars. He used to be a bartender so every time he sat down at one, he felt the familiarity of it all, wash over him. This time though, he felt a bit out of place. He could feel eyes on him and they burned every visible inch of his skin. A gay bar… It had seemed like a good idea at the time, an experiment of sorts. Now he just felt uncomfortable in his own skin. He looked to his left to see a man staring at him like he was a piece of meat. Buck shifted slightly in his seat. This wasn’t the best idea. 

“First time?” A voice asked and Buck looked up at the bartender who had served him his beer. 

The man had red hair that was shaved at the sides and was covered in tattoos. He was also wearing eyeliner. 

Buck smiled shyly. “That obvious?” Buck asked self-consciously and the redhead smiled gently. 

“A little. Most guys that look like you and have been out for a while, well let’s just say they tend to have already found someone to...talk to. They don’t normally sit at the bar for thirty-five minutes contemplating life.” Red said as he cut some lemons and limes. 

Buck frowned in confusion. “Guys that look like me?” Buck asked and Red laughed. 

“Drop dead gorgeous.” Red teased with a wink.

Buck blushed. “Ah...Thanks, man.” Buck said rubbing the back of his neck. 

Red snorted and squinted his eyes at Buck.

“So who is he?” Red asked and Buck blinked at him.

“What?” Buck asked looking behind before looking back at Red with a furrowed brow.

Red just smirked as he put the cut limes and lemons into a bowl.

“The guy that’s got you questioning everything.” Red said simply and Buck bit his lower lip. 

“What makes you think there is a guy?” Buck said but it sounded weak even to his own ears. 

“I’ve been doing this for a long time. You are not the first straight guy that has come in here to test the same theory you are testing right now.” Red said as he replaced Buck’s empty beer with a new one. 

“What theory is that?” Buck muttered and Red laughed softly. 

“You’re trying to see if it’s just him or men in general.” Red stated and Buck frowned at him. 

“So who is he?” Red asked again and Buck felt the strings inside him snap. 

“My best friend.” Buck said taking a long sip of his beer. 

Red nodded as he wiped down the counter. 

“Straight, I’m guessing.” Red said and Buck nodded.

“Very…” Buck said as he played with the corner of the label on the beer bottle. 

Red nodded again. “And you’re attracted to him.” Red asked gently and Buck sighed.

“I’m in love with him.” Buck said and took another long swig of his beer. 

Red frowned at him. “Love is a pretty strong word.” He said and Buck nodded back as he looked down at the counter. 

“When I first met him...I couldn’t stand his face. He came into my territory and acted like he owned it. He showed me up on our first call together. He was an army medic and that gave him an advantage over me and I hated that. I had worked my ass off for a year at the station to get in a good place with my team and captain and this guy shows up and in one day becomes everyone’s favorite.” Buck ranted as he peeled more of the label off. 

“Hate at first sight.” Red teased as he washed a glass. 

Buck nodded and noticed that the other bartender was dealing with the customers abling Red to talk to him. 

“More like jealousy.” Buck said and Red nodded.

“So what made you two become best friends?” Red asked curiously and Buck smiled. 

“We disarmed a live grenade from someone’s leg in the back of an ambulance. Kinda bonded us.” Buck said with a small shrug as Red stared at him in surprise. 

“Yeah that would do it.” Red said with a shake of his head. 

“Then I found out about Christopher.” Buck said and Red raised an eyebrow.

“Christopher?” Red asked and Buck grinned at him. 

“His son. I remember the first time he showed me a picture of him. That kid stole my heart before I even met him. He is the coolest kid. I mean he has been through so much. He lost his mother recently and than he survived that tsunami that hit not that long ago, all while having CP. I mean that kid is an everyday Superman. He keeps smiling through every hardship. He gets knocked down and gets back up right away without a complaint.” Buck rambled as he smiled down at the counter. 

Red raised an eyebrow. “So he’s a father, your man?” 

Buck blushed slightly and nodded. 

“He’s a great father. He got so much patience. He never raises his voice and treats Chris like his a God given gift, which of course he is but still. He is kind and compassionate. He works so hard to be able to afford everything Chris needs. He worked his ass off to get him in a good school. To get him the services he needs. He never complains either.” Buck said and Red smiled. 

“He seems like a great guy.” Red said and Buck nodded again. 

“He is the best person I have ever met. He has always had my back, He has never once let me down.” Buck said and took another small sip of his beer. 

Red watched him closely. “But are you physically attracted to him?” 

Buck frowned as he nervously shifted in his seat. 

“He’s six feet tall. He’s a trained MMA fighter so he has a great body. He’s rocking an eight pack and that v shape. He’s got short cropped brown hair that smells amazing. He got these killer brown eyes. He’s half Mexican so he got that darker shade of skin that always looks perfectly tanned. He likes to have a bit of scruff. Just a bit, though. What he can get away with in our line of work. He doesn’t have a single style. He likes to mix it up ya know? Sometimes he wears long sleeved one-color sweaters and other times he likes wearing flannel. He looks best in his LAFD uniform though.” Buck was rambling again and looked up to see Red giving him this knowing look.

“You got it bad…” He said softly and Buck frowned as he rested his chin against the bar. 

“Yeah…I do.” Buck whispered. 

“And you work with him?” Red said and Buck nodded pitifully as his chin bounced against the counter. 

“You ever think about transferring stations?” Red suggested and Buck frowned and shook his head. 

“They are my family. I couldn’t leave them.” Buck said and Red nodded. 

“Have you tried talking to him about it...You guys sound really close maybe he feels the same…” Buck cut him off with a sharp snort. 

“Highly doubtful. He is a good guy and there isn’t a homophobic bone in his body but there is no way he would be into me, into men.” Buck said and Red raised and eyebrow at him. 

“If someone told you a month before you met him that you would be attracted to a man, what would you have said?” Red asked and Buck frowned. 

“Impossible…” Buck mumbled and Red smiled.

“And yet here you are.” Red said and Buck’s frown deepened. 

Buck looked at his phone and sighed. He had to leave he had a shift tomorrow night. He pulled out his wallet and made sure to leave a huge tip. “Thank you. You’re a good listener.” Buck said and Red smiled at him. 

“Anytime.” Red said as he left. 

\--  
Eddie sat at the bar feeling awkward, like he was an imposter. That he didn’t belong there. He shouldn’t have come. He had no idea what made him step into the bar as he was walking back home from the gym. Yet here he was, sipping on a beer and feeling like an idiot. He could feel eyes on the back of his head and he wanted to bolt so bad. 

“They won’t bite. Well not if you don’t want them to.” Eddie looked up from his beer to spot a red headed bartender with eyeliner. 

“Oh...I...um…” Eddie struggled to speak caught off guard. 

Eyeliner just smirked at him. “Not your usual hang out, huh?” He asked and Eddie blushed under the collar. 

“Not really.” Eddie muttered and Eyeliner laughed. 

“So what’s got you poking your head out of the closet, than?” Eyeliner asked with a bright smile and Eddie bit his lip. 

“Just testing the waters…” Eddie mumbled, feeling like a complete idiot. 

“You wouldn’t be the first.” Eyeliner said and Eddie frowned. 

“Really? This happen a lot?” Eddie asked and Eyeliner snorted. “All the time.” 

Eddie felt a bit better hearing that. 

“So what’s got you curious?” Eyeliner asked and Eddie shrugged. 

“I’ve always kinda been. Curious, I mean. It’s always kinda been there in the back of my mind.” Eddie said as he tapped his thigh with his fingers. 

“But never acted on?” Eyeliner guessed and Eddie nodded. 

“So why now?” Eyeliner asked and Eddie frowned as he took another long drag of his beer. 

“There’s this guy…” Eddie mumbled and Eyeliner smirked at him.

“There always is. Is he gay?” Eyeliner wondered as he cleaned the counter and Eddie scoffed. 

“God no. Not even a little.” Eddie muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Eyeliner nodded. “Right, so unrequited sexual tension.” He said and Eddie frowned. 

“I wish it was just that. I wish it was just attraction but...I’m kinda in love with him.” Eddie said and he saw Eyeliner looked up with a slight frown. 

“Wow that word is being thrown around a lot lately.” Eyeliner muttered and Eddie frowned at him.

“What?” Eddie asked but Eyeliner shook his head. “Nothing. So tell me about this guy of yours.” He said and Eddie blushed. 

“When I first met him, I thought that he was a total dick. He was coming out of a bad break up with his ex-girlfriend and was super sensitive at the time...well actually he is always kinda sensitive, don’t get me wrong I really love that about him but at the time I barely knew him and it threw me off. He had gave me this whole speech about being too comfortable in a new work environment. Told me to respect my elders when I’m older than him…” Eddie smiled slightly at the memory.

Eyeliner smiled. “What changed your mind about him?” He asked and Eddie smiled again. 

“Well we kinda got close through work but what really did it for me was when I introduced him to my son.” Eddie said and Eyeliner blinked as he furrowed his brows. 

“Your son?” He asked as he tilted his head looking at him more closely. 

Eddie nodded at him. “My kid’s got CP. Most people when they meet him, well they either get super uncomfortable and tend to avoid him or they get overly weird around him but not him. He knew exactly how to act with him. He never treated my son like he was different. He always knew where the line between helping and enabling started and ended. My son adores him. I’m pretty sure he likes him more than me sometimes and I can’t even blame him for it. He saved his life too. They got stuck in that tsunami together. He made sure my son was safe and when they got separated when he was rescuing another person, he spent hours looking for him. He was on blood thinners and recovering from an embolism but he spend hours and hours looking for him. When we found him, all my son could talk about is how his Buck saved him. He has an act for playing hero though. He always jumps in without thinking about himself. He is so fucking selfless.” Eddie trailed off but when he looked up he saw Eyeliner staring at him with something akin to awe in his eyes.

“What’s your son’s name?” Eyeliner asked suddenly and Eddie frowned but answered. “Christopher.” He said and Eyeliner blinked at him about a dozen times. 

“Were you an army medic?” Eyeliner asked causing Eddie to looked up in slight shock.

“How’d…” But Eyeliner cut him off.

“Did you happen to disarm a live grenade that was in some dude’s leg in the back of an ambulance with said guy you are in love with?” Eyeliner asked as he squinted at Eddie and Eddie felt his breath leave him.

“Are you psychic...How in the hell did you know that?” Eddie asked as he leaned back away from him. 

Eyeliner laughed out loud shaking his head.

“Wow…” Eyeliner breathed as he stared at him. “He got you spot on.” He said causing Eddie to frown in confusion.

“What are you talking about?” Eddie asked so confused. 

Eyeliner snorted. “Your man. He was here four nights ago. Going on and on about how in love he was with his best friend. How much he loved his best friend’s son named Christopher. He was tall about six one or six two. He had blond hair and gorgeous blue eyes.” Eyeliner said and Eddie felt his breath leave him again as his heart pounded in his chest.

“Buck’s not gay. There was no way that was him...It couldn’t have been him.” Eddie said shaking his head but Eyeliner rolled his eyes. 

“How many dudes have taken out a live grenade from someone’s leg?” Eyeliner snorted but Eddie was still shaking his head. 

Eyeliner sighed. “He had a birthmark above his left eye.” Eddie felt his whole world shift at those eight words. 

“He said he was in love with me?” Eddie choked out.

Eyeliner laughed. “I never seen anyone have it that bad from another person. He went on and on about you. How good of a father you are or how you always have his back. He had this look on his face when he talked about you. It was like you hung the moon and stars for him.” Eyeliner said and Eddie stood up grabbing his wallet and pulling out a lot more than he normally would have under any other circumstance. 

“Thank you!” Eddie cried out as he rushed out of the bar.

“Go get him!” He heard Eyeliner yell after him. 

\--  
Buck was confused as he was startled awake by the pounding on his door. He made his way downstairs and checked the peephole and saw Eddie. He frowned as worry gripped his heart before he opened the door.

“Hey is everything alri…” Buck started only to be silenced by the brutal force of Eddie’s lips. 

Buck took a startled step back as Eddie kicked the door shut and spun them to pin Buck to it. Buck moaned as Eddie licked into his mouth. Eddie pulled away after a few more intense moments and Buck tried to follow his lips causing Eddie to smile at him. 

“What…”Buck started but Eddie just kissed him more softly. 

“Eyeliner sent me. He relayed your message.” Eddie said and Buck looked like a lost puppy and Eddie laughed.

“The bartender at The Manhole.” Eddie said and realization dawned on Buck. “Oh you mean, Red?” Buck asked and Eddie laughed again. 

“Yeah. He told me you spill your guts to him. About how much you loved me.” Eddie teased and Buck blushed before frowning again.

“What were you doing there?” Buck asked and Eddie smiled.

“Spilling my own guts about how much I love you.” Eddie said with a shrug and Buck laughed. 

“What are the odds…” Buck whispered and Eddie smiled at him.

“I think it was fate...” Eddie said and Buck smiled as he kissed him again.


End file.
